Christine Eissenstat

Christine (Prada) Eissenstat of Frederick, Md., died of a heart attack on Sept. 4, 2017, while in Rochester, N.Y., attending a family celebration.

Chris was born and raised in Edgartown, and attended Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School prior to receiving a B.A. in sociology from Emmanuel College in Boston. She married Michael Eissenstat in 1980, and they resided in Albany, N.Y., and Chester Springs, Pa., prior to going to Frederick in 1995.

Chris was the office manager of Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood in Albany prior to devoting her energies to being a full-time mom and volunteer and community leader. Among her many volunteer activities, she was involved in the PTAs at all of the schools her children attended, eventually becoming the president of the Governor Thomas Johnson High School PTA. She channeled her childhood love of horses into volunteering with the Frederick County 4H Therapeutic Riding Program, where she received the volunteer of the year award in 2008. A convert to Judaism, Chris was very active in the Beth Sholom congregation of Frederick, where she served on numerous committees, cooked for special occasions, and worked the weekly bingo fundraiser. She was the immediate past president of the synagogue, having served four years as president. She was well known for being a friendly, but forceful, agent for progress in the Jewish community.

Chris was a voracious reader of both fiction and nonfiction, and could carry on a thoughtful conversation on virtually any topic. Among her other hobbies were knitting and pottery. She had a wide circle of friends who, along with her family, will miss her greatly.

Besides her husband Mike, Chris leaves behind her daughter Leah of Fredericksburg, Va., and son Seth of Baltimore, Md. She is also survived by sisters Barbara and Ursula Prada of Edgartown, Mary (Tom) Dombrowski of Allentown, Pa., and sister-in-law Jana Singer (Larry Sidman) of Bethesda, Md., as well as loving aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, and many in-laws. She was predeceased by her mother Maurita (Daniels) Prada, father Richard Prada, and brother Vincent Prada.